Although [[Maryland|Maryland]] was established as a refuge for [[Roman Catholic Church in the United States|Roman Catholics]] from England (under the Act of Toleration, 1649 to 1654), most early settlers were Protestant. Members of the [[Society of Friends (Quakers) in the United States|Society of Friends (Quakers)]] were in the Chesapeake Bay area as early as 1657. The [[Anglican Church of the United States|Anglican]] Church was established as the official church in 1692 and continued as such until 1776.

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Although [[Maryland|Maryland]] was established as a refuge for [[Roman Catholic Church in the United States|Roman Catholics]] from England (under the Act of Toleration, 1649 to 1654), most early settlers were Protestant. Members of the [[Society of Friends (Quakers) in the United States|Society of Friends (Quakers)]] were in the Chesapeake Bay area as early as 1657. The Anglican Church was established as the official church in 1692 and continued as such until 1776.

From 1718 to 1776 Catholics and Quakers were disenfranchised, and few of their pre-Revolutionary records exist. Surviving records of Jesuit Fathers are deposited at the Archives of the Georgetown University Library. University Archivist, Lynn Conway, assists with this collection. Contact: [mailto:conwayl@georgetown.edu conwayl@georgetown.edu] &nbsp;

From 1718 to 1776 Catholics and Quakers were disenfranchised, and few of their pre-Revolutionary records exist. Surviving records of Jesuit Fathers are deposited at the Archives of the Georgetown University Library. University Archivist, Lynn Conway, assists with this collection. Contact: [mailto:conwayl@georgetown.edu conwayl@georgetown.edu] &nbsp;

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== Repositories ==

== Repositories ==

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[http://www.mdhs.org/ The Maryland Historical Society] and the Maryland State Archives are major repositories of Maryland church records. FamilySearch has microfilmed portions of the Family History Library's collection.

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[http://www.mdhs.org/ The Maryland Historical Society] and the Maryland State Archives are major repositories of Maryland church records. FamilySearch has microfilmed portions of the Family History Library's collection.<br>

Start with the online&nbsp;guide [http://speccol.mdarchives.state.md.us/msa/speccol/catalog/religion/cfm/dsp_churches.cfm Guide to Maryland Religious Institutions: Featuring the Collections of the Maryland State Archives]. Many original&nbsp;records they hold have been digitized and are viewable on their website.

Start with the online&nbsp;guide [http://speccol.mdarchives.state.md.us/msa/speccol/catalog/religion/cfm/dsp_churches.cfm Guide to Maryland Religious Institutions: Featuring the Collections of the Maryland State Archives]. Many original&nbsp;records they hold have been digitized and are viewable on their website.

An important guide produced by the Genealogical Council of Maryland is:

An important guide produced by the Genealogical Council of Maryland is:

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*Kanley, Edna A., comp. ''Directory of Maryland Church Records.'' One volume in two parts. Silver Spring, Maryland: Family Line Publications, 1987. {{FHL|325962|item}} 975.2 K24k. This book gives the names and addresses of about 2,600 Maryland churches and often mentions the years that the church operated, the years that records exist, and the location of the original records or copies.

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*Kanley, Edna A., comp. ''Directory of Maryland Church Records.'' One volume in two parts. Silver Spring, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1987. {{FHL|325962|item|disp=FHL Book 975.2 K24k}}. This book gives the names and addresses of about 2,600 Maryland churches and often mentions the years that the church operated, the years that records exist, and the location of the original records or copies.

To learn about the ministers and priests who served in Maryland, see:

To learn about the ministers and priests who served in Maryland, see:

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*Kanely, Edna Agatha. ''Directory of Ministers and the Maryland Churches They Served, 1634-1990'', 2 vols. Westminster, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1991. {{FHL|582914|item}} 975.2 K2k. This book lists several thousand ministers and priests, giving birth and death dates, denomination served, and location and dates served. The source of the information is also given.

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*Kanely, Edna Agatha. ''Directory of Ministers and the Maryland Churches They Served, 1634-1990'', 2 vols. Westminster, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1991. {{FHL|582914|item|disp=FHL Book 975.2 K2k}}. This book lists several thousand ministers and priests, giving birth and death dates, denomination served, and location and dates served. The source of the information is also given.

Early church records, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for&nbsp;Maryland Wards and Branches can be found on film and are located at the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The film numbers, for each ward, can be locate through the [https://www.familysearch.org/#form=catalog Family History Library Catalog] . Or by refering to Jaussi, Laureen R., and Gloria D. Chaston. Register of Genealogical Society Call Numbers. 2 vols. Provo, Utah: Genealogy Tree, 1982. (FHL book 979.2258 A3j; fiche 6031507). These volumes contain the film numbers for many (but not all) membership and temple record films.

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Early church records, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for&nbsp;Maryland Wards and Branches can be found on film and are located at the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The film numbers, for each ward, can be locate through the [https://www.familysearch.org/#form=catalog FamilySearch Catalog] . Or by refering to Jaussi, Laureen R., and Gloria D. Chaston. Register of Genealogical Society Call Numbers. 2 vols. Provo, Utah: Genealogy Tree, 1982. (FHL book 979.2258 A3j; fiche 6031507). These volumes contain the film numbers for many (but not all) membership and temple record films.

The archdiocese has a website to locate [http://www.archbalt.org/parishes/find-parish/index.cfm existing parishes]. A number of parishes have closed. Click [http://www.archbalt.org/parishes/closed-parishes.cfm here]&nbsp;for a listing of those parishes and where the records have been moved to.

The archdiocese has a website to locate [http://www.archbalt.org/parishes/find-parish/index.cfm existing parishes]. A number of parishes have closed. Click [http://www.archbalt.org/parishes/closed-parishes.cfm here]&nbsp;for a listing of those parishes and where the records have been moved to.

*Forbush, Bliss. ''A History of Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends: Three Hundred Years of Quakerism in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Colombia, and Central Pennsylvania''. Sandy Spring, Md.: Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1972. {{FHL|499384|item|disp=FHL Book 975.2 K2f, Fiche 6049733}}. This book contains a map showing the general location of the early monthly meetings within this yearly meeting.

*Forbush, Bliss. ''A History of Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends: Three Hundred Years of Quakerism in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Colombia, and Central Pennsylvania''. Sandy Spring, Md.: Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1972. {{FHL|499384|item|disp=FHL Book 975.2 K2f, Fiche 6049733}}. This book contains a map showing the general location of the early monthly meetings within this yearly meeting.

History

Although Maryland was established as a refuge for Roman Catholics from England (under the Act of Toleration, 1649 to 1654), most early settlers were Protestant. Members of the Society of Friends (Quakers) were in the Chesapeake Bay area as early as 1657. The Anglican Church was established as the official church in 1692 and continued as such until 1776.

From 1718 to 1776 Catholics and Quakers were disenfranchised, and few of their pre-Revolutionary records exist. Surviving records of Jesuit Fathers are deposited at the Archives of the Georgetown University Library. University Archivist, Lynn Conway, assists with this collection. Contact: conwayl@georgetown.edu

The 1759 Maryland land tax return reveals the proportions of land, county-by-county, owned by Catholics in contrast to land owned by Protestants. The highest percentages of Catholic landholdings were in Charles, Prince George's, and St. Mary's counties. The lowest percentages of Catholic landholdings were in Calvert, Cecil, Somerset, Talbot, and Worcester counties. Most land in those counties was owned by Protestants.[1]

Repositories

The Maryland Historical Society and the Maryland State Archives are major repositories of Maryland church records. FamilySearch has microfilmed portions of the Family History Library's collection.

Maryland Historical Society

The Maryland Historical Society has about 200 indexed transcripts of church records and some original records for various denominations. The Society is the repository for the Protestant Episcopal Diocese of Maryland and has about 70,000 items from 1676 to 1900. The Society also has the Norris Harris Church Register File. This is a card index to many of the births, baptisms, marriages, deaths, and other information in the church registers of the collection.

Protestant Episcopal. An almost complete set of older parish records from the Protestant Episcopal Diocese of Washington (southern and western shore) and from the Diocese of Easton (eastern shore). The archives has some original records from the Diocese of Maryland and microfilm copies of parish records for most of Maryland.

Roman Catholic. A large number of microfilmed records from the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Friends (Quaker). Microfilm copies of the older records of nearly all Friends monthly meetings and some of the original records. This includes the records of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting in Homewood; Philadelphia Yearly Meetings of the Eastern Shore; and meetings under the now defunct Virginia Yearly Meeting. These are described and listed in:

Other Protestants. The Baltimore and Peninsula Conferences of the United Methodist Church, and records from some Baptist, Lutheran, Evangelical, and Presbyterian churches. Many of these records are indexed.

Family History Library

The Family History Library has microfilm copies of some Protestant Episcopal records from the Maryland Historical Society. The library also has Friends' records for the Cecil Monthly Meeting microfilmed at Swarthmore College. The library has microfilm copies of records at the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia, and has copies of published histories for some denominations, such as the Protestant Episcopal, Methodist, Evangelical Lutheran, and Baptist churches.

Research Guides

An important guide produced by the Genealogical Council of Maryland is:

Kanley, Edna A., comp. Directory of Maryland Church Records. One volume in two parts. Silver Spring, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1987. FHL Book 975.2 K24k. This book gives the names and addresses of about 2,600 Maryland churches and often mentions the years that the church operated, the years that records exist, and the location of the original records or copies.

To learn about the ministers and priests who served in Maryland, see:

Kanely, Edna Agatha. Directory of Ministers and the Maryland Churches They Served, 1634-1990, 2 vols. Westminster, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1991. FHL Book 975.2 K2k. This book lists several thousand ministers and priests, giving birth and death dates, denomination served, and location and dates served. The source of the information is also given.

Denominations

Some denominations have collected their records into denominational repositories, others have not. The following addresses may be helpful in locating church records.

Frederick Lewis Weis's The Colonial Clergy of Maryland, Delaware, and Georgia, is an alphabetical listing of the clergy in Delaware from 1638-1776, and includes names, dates, and places. A copy of the book is located in the FHL Collection. For a copy nearest you, check WorldCat.

For a history of the Anglican church and background information on the original thirty Anglican parishes, see:

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)

Early church records, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for Maryland Wards and Branches can be found on film and are located at the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The film numbers, for each ward, can be locate through the FamilySearch Catalog . Or by refering to Jaussi, Laureen R., and Gloria D. Chaston. Register of Genealogical Society Call Numbers. 2 vols. Provo, Utah: Genealogy Tree, 1982. (FHL book 979.2258 A3j; fiche 6031507). These volumes contain the film numbers for many (but not all) membership and temple record films.

Presbyterian

Roman Catholic

Many of Maryland's Catholic Church records are maintained by two archdioceses and a diocese that cover the state.

Sacramental Records

Sacramental records include:

Baptism: dates of birth and baptism; name of child; names of parents, sponsors (godparents), and the name of priest.

Marriage: date of marriage; name of persons being married and where they are from; parents names; witnesses; and name of officiating priest.

First Communion and Confirmation: date of first communion or confirmation; name of child and officiating cleric.

Sacramental records in the Archdiocese of Baltimore are not public records. Records that are 70 years old or less are sealed to the public. No restrictions apply to records of First Communion, Confrimation, Marriage, Death, Interment or Burial.

Diocese of Wilmington

The Diocese of Wilmington was established in March of 1868. It included the nine Eastern Shore Maryland counties at its creation. The archive is located at 8 Old Church Road, Greenville, DE 19807. The mailing address is: PO Box 2030, Wilmington DE 19899. It is open on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The facility has one microfilm reader.

To learn more about the history of the Baltimore Yearly Meetings, see:

Forbush, Bliss. A History of Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends: Three Hundred Years of Quakerism in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Colombia, and Central Pennsylvania. Sandy Spring, Md.: Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1972. FHL Book 975.2 K2f, Fiche 6049733. This book contains a map showing the general location of the early monthly meetings within this yearly meeting.